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W. C. LE PETRIE. CHOCOLATE BEATER. APPLICATION men own. 1921.

Patented Oct. 31, 1-922.

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W. C. LE PETRIE.

CHOCOLATE BEATER.

APPLICATION FILED 050.23. I92I.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922 4 3HEET$-SHEET 2- W. C. LE PETRIE. CHOCOLKTEBEATER.

APPLlCATION FILED 950.23, 1921.

Patented Oct. 31,1922

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Amer/far Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. LE PETRIE, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

CHOCOLATE BEA'IER.

Application filed December 23; 1921. Serial No. 524,463.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM G. Ln ln'rnm, acitizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Montreal, inthe Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Chocolate Beaters, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in chocolate beating machines orblending machines, and the object of the invention is to provide amachine which will quickly and thoroughly beat or mix together the cocoaand other ingredients and develop a perfectly smooth uniform mixture.

A further object is to provide a machine which will thoroughly work thewhole mass of material.

A still further object is to provide a machine which may be easily andquickly emptied.

Another object is to provide means for substantially inverting thevessel to quickly and easily dump the contents.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from. thefollowing general and detailed descriptions.

The invention consists essentially in providing a substantiallycylindrical vessel disposed. axially horizontally, and containing arevoluble beating and grinding or crushing element disposed axiallycoincident with the vessel. The vessel is provided at the top with alarge opening for convenience in filling, cleaning and inspection of theproduct and at the bottom with a large gated. outlet. The lower part atleast of the vessel is provided with a jacket for the circulation of aheating and tempering agent. Means are provided to rotate the vesselaround its axis so as to easily dump the contents.

In the drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention Fig. 1is a side elevation of the device partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a cross section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates a pair of endframes rigidly supported by stays 12 of any suitable form extendingbet-ween them. The

upper parts of the frames are provided with bearings 13 in which asubtsantially cylindrical vessel 14 is journalled by means of hollowtrunnions 15. The vessel comprises preferably a pair of substantiallyflat and substantially circular end plates 16 outwardly flanged at theirperipheries for the attachment of a cylindrically curved shell 17. Thisshell does not extend entirely around the end plates but leaves anopening 18 of appreciable width extending between the end plates. Theend plates may be provided with short radially projecting extensions 19on which the shell 17 is con tinued so as to form a mouth ringprojecting beyond the surface of the shell 17. If desired, however, thismouth ring may be formed of separate members attached to the shell andend plates. A plate 20 attached at its edges to the shell and extendsfrom end to end thereof and preferably at least half way around thecircumference in spaced relation to the shell, so as to provide a acketspace for-the circulation of a heating agent. This heating agent isconducted to the device through a flexible pipe 21 and admitted througha connection 21, a regulating valve 22 and pressure gauge or thermometer23 being provided. The spent heating agent is withdrawn at the point24:, which is preferably located at what is normally the lowest point ofthe jacket. The reason for this is that the heating agent preferablyused is steam, so that the location of the outlet provides for theelimination of condensate. At any suitable point,

preferably that which is normally the bottom of the vessel, a largeoutlet 27 is provided having a controlling valve or gate 26 of a typecapable of dealing with very heavy liquids. The end plates of the vesselare each provided with an arcuate rack 27.

A heater is located within the vessel and disposed axially coincidenttherewith. This beater comprises a shaft 28 journalled in and passingthrough the hollow trunnions 15. any suitable form of packing designated15" belng provided to make liquid tight joints. A pair of end members 29are rigidly mounted on the shaft 28 close against the end plates 16.These end members are preferably in the form of star wheels, as shownin. Figure 4:, but may be of any other "suitable construction. Eachmember-29 is provided at a plurality of points in its circumference withnotches 30 to receive sliding journal boxes 31 in which are 'journalledheavy rollers 32 extending between the two end members 29 and adapted tobear outwardly and against the inner surface of the cylindrical vesselshell. (laps 83 are pro vided to hold the rollers and their journalboxes against escape by centrifugal action as they pass the opening 18.Each journal boX is provided with a stem 3% rigidly connected theretoand slidably mounted in radial arrangement in a member 29. Springs 35are mounted in compres sion between adjustable collars 36 on the stemsand any suitable abutments 37 on the members 29. Conveniently, themembers may be apertured for the reception of the springs and theabutments 37 will then be the inner ends of such apertures. The springsare arranged as will be clearly .ESGUH from Figure 4 to press therollers against the shell 17 and, by adjusting the compres sion of thesesprings by means of the collars 36, the pressure of the rolls againstthe shell may be regulated. Obviously, the adjustment of the caps 33must be such as will permit engagement of the rollers and shells butshould not permit any appreciable outward movement more than isnecessary for this, in. order to avoid outward projection of the rollsby centrifugal action and their consequent pounding on the shell at theedges of the opening 18.

A shaft 38 is journalled in the frames 11 and carries at each end apinion 39 meshing with a large gear 40 on the beater shaft 28; The shaft38 receives rotary motion through a gear train 41 from a counter shaft42 carrying fixed and loose pulleys 48 and 4:4. This counter shaft maybe mounted in any suitable manner, for example, one end may bejournall'ed in one of the frames 11 and the opposite end in a suitablestand ard 45 located adjacent the frame 11.

A shaft 46 is journalled at any suitable points in the frames 11 andcarries toward the ends thereof pinions 4:7 meshing with the racks 27 onthe ends of the vessel. This shaft 46 is preferably mounted at what maybe termed the back of the machine and is controlled from what may betermed the front of the machine by a hand wheel l8, mounted on a shaftl9 extending to the back of the machine and having worm gear connection50 with the shaft 16. Stops 51 may be secured to the vessel to engagethe shaft 46 and limit rotation of the vessel.

The operation of the device is as follows The mixture of ingredientssuch as cocoa. sugar and the like taken from a so-called finishingmachine, together with the neces sary amount of cocoa butter or othermaterial, is introduced through the opening, 18

into the vessel 14. Steam in proper amount is admitted to the jacket andthe machine started by slipping a belt from the loose to the fixedpulley. The power is delivered \lk'a through the gear trains to thebeater which revolves at comparatively low speed within the vessel, and,by the outwznrd pressures of the rolls due both to centrifugal andspring action, the ngredients are rolled or rubbed between the rollers39 and. the cylindrical shell of the vessel. The rolls also exert alimited churnin or stirring action, so that in time every particle ofthe mass will have passed one or more times betw n the rolls and shell.The gradual warmmg of the material by contact with the heated portion ofthe shell thins the material, so that it flows more readily and has notendency to cling in a sticlry mass to the aft Fill and allow the rollsto revolve practically in air around it. The force of 'ty will of coursebe operative to precipitate the material to the lowest point of thevessel, so that the full length of each roll will pass throu thematerial. is the rolls move through the mass of material. which extendsto the level of the shaft or slightly above, the rolls crush or squeezethe material between themselves and the shell. and, aftei'j' the rollsrise above the level of the material, they are of. course heavily coatedwith it and, the crushing or sq'iileezing action continues as long asthe rolls are in contact with the shell. (lwiug to the horizontaldisposition of the drum and rolls, 100% of the engaging surfaces of theparts are active, regardlrss of the amount of material in the machine.he constant stirring up and rolling out or squeezing which then'iaterial receives soon results in a very perfect blending of allingredients and the development of the desired characteristics andproperties to the 'lfullest extent, The resulting product is very smoothand creamy and without any trace of distinct par 'cles, as these haveall been rolled or crashed into such a fine state of division that theycannot be detected by the human senses. In addition, the mixing is soperfect that the consistency, texture andv flavor of the product areuniform throughout. lVhei'i the blending is complete, the material maybe removed from the vessel either byopening the 'ate 20 or bysubstantially invertiru the t l, so that the material runs out throughthe top opening. This inversion is accomplished by rotating the hand.wheel 48 which rotates the shaft 46 and, through the pinions l7 and rack27, rotates the vessel on its trunnions 15. If the top opening 18 isused for emptying, it will be readily understood that the bottom gate 26will be convenient when washing the machine. The flexible steam supply21 permits the inverting of the vessel whenever desired.

These desired results of perfect blending are obtained according to thisinvention with remarkable ease and rapidity, regardless of whether themachine is operated with the full charge or only a partial charge, and

this believed to be due to the horizontal.

disposition of the vessel and the beating rolls, which renders the wholelength of each roll and the whole interior surface of the vesselavailable for beating purposes, and also ensures the flow of thematerial into contact with the active surface of the vessel; theinactive ends being vertical and therefore unable to support any idlematerial.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is l. A machine of theclass described, comprising a cylindrical horizontally disposed vesseland a rotatable beater therein com; prising a shaft extendinglongitudinally of the vessel, slotted end members mounted on the shaftadjacent the vessel ends, horizontally disposed rolls radially sli'dablein the end member slots, springs disposed to press said rolls againstthe vessel Wall and re- Inovable means closing the outer ends of saidslots to hold the rolls against escape from the end member slots due tospring and centrifugal action.

2. An agitator for use in a machine of the class described, comprisingrotatable end members, provided with opposing radial slots, rollersextending between said members, and having their ends disposed inopposing slots, a roller engaging slide movable in each slot forengaging and holding the roller toward the outer end of the slots, astem carried by each slide, a spring encircling the stem and confined,in compres sion, between complementary abutments carried by thestem' andend member, respectively, and a movable abutmenton the stem engaging thespring and ad]ustable to regulate the pressure exerted bythe latter.

Injwitnesswhereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand.

WVILLIAM O. LE PETRIE.

